1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle window molding that can be mounted between a vehicle windowpane and a vehicle body panel, for providing ornamental and sealing functions for the passenger compartment of vehicles.
2. Related Art
A typical structure of a vehicle window molding is explained below with reference to FIG. 1, which illustrates a vehicle body 1 and a window 2 in the form of a windshield. The window 2 includes a windowpane 3 that is mounted on a vehicle body panel 4 so as to leave a gap 5 between the outer periphery of the windowpane 3 and the vehicle body panel 4, which gap is covered by a window molding 6.
Conventionally, the window molding 6 has a seal lip that extends from the molding body fitted in the gap 5, in order to cover part of the vehicle body panel 4 on the exterior side of the vehicle. The seal lip is made of a relatively soft material, such as soft resin or synthetic rubber, and has a thickness that decreases toward its distal end, so as to absorb dimensional fluctuation of the vehicle body panel and thereby realize as flush a surface as possible. Thus, during high-speed running of the vehicle, exhausting draft is caused by a negative pressure to flow out of the gap 5 toward the rear side of the seal lip, causing the distal end of the seal lip to vibrate thereby generating undesirable noise.
A window molding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,038, which has been devised to prevent generation of such noise. This window molding 6 is shown in FIG. 2, which is a sectional view taken along line A—A in FIG. 1. It is assumed that the vehicle body panel 4 has an outer surface 4a, a stepped surface 4b and a flange 4c. The window molding 6 is fitted in the gap 5 between the windowpane 3 and the vehicle body panel 4. An adhesive 7 fixedly connects the windowpane 3 and the window molding 6 relative to the flange 4c, with a dam rubber 8 blocking the adhesive 7 from spilling.
In the window molding 6 shown in FIG. 2, the seal lip 12 extends toward the outer surface 4a of the vehicle body panel 4, from the passenger compartment side of the molding body 11 that is located in the gap 5 between the outer peripheral edge of the windowpane 3 and the vehicle body panel 4. The seal lip 12 has a fold-back lip 13 at its distal end portion, which is folded back toward the vehicle compartment so as to abut against the stepped surface 4b. The window molding of such a structure is based on a premise that, when the seal lip 12 is sucked outward of the vehicle under a negative pressure during high-speed running of the vehicle, exhaust draft is prevented from flowing outside of the vehicle due to the abutment of the fold-back lip 13 against the stepped surface 4b, thereby making it possible to prevent undesired noise generation due to vibration at the distal end of the seal lip 12 in the form of the fold-back lip 13.
However, in the window molding 6 shown in FIG. 2, since the molding body 11 is secured in place solely by means of the adhesive 7, if a force is exerted to the molding member 6 from the windowpane 3 during cleaning thereof or the like, the molding body 11 may lean toward the vehicle body panel 4. A gap is then formed between the molding body 11 and the windowpane 3, in which foreign matters such as dust or sand particles may be trapped. Moreover, since the window molding 6 has a channel 9 in its outer surface, it is likely to cause noise generation. Further, if the window molding has a curvature in its longitudinal direction along the corner part 10 of the window 2, the seal lip 12 tends to lean toward the molding body 11 thereby causing a gap between the fold-back lip 13 of the seal lip 12 and the vehicle body panel 4. Thus, not only the overall appearance deteriorates, but also exhausting draft flows outward the vehicle through the gap due to negative pressure during high-speed running of the vehicle, thereby possibly causing undesired noise generation.
Furthermore, since the fold-back lip 13 of the window molding 6 shown in FIG. 2 extends inwards from the outside of the vehicle along the stepped surface 4b, the seal lip 12 tends to lean away from the stepped surface 4b during high-speed running, and pebbles of a size slightly larger than sand may be trapped in the gap that is being formed between the fold-back lip 13 and the stepped surface 4b. When the vehicle then resumes a low speed running state, the seal lip 12 restores to the initial position while closing the gap with the pebbles trapped as being invisible by users. Thus, if the window is wiped or cleaned with clothes or the like, the molding body 11 may lean toward the vehicle body panel, with the pebbles breaking through the fold-back lip 13 thereby causing scratches or damages of the vehicle body, as the case may be.
A window molding having a similar configuration is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Publication JP-U-58-47511. This window molding is shown in FIG. 3, which also is a sectional view taken along the line A—A in FIG. 1. It is noted that this window molding 6 is intended primarily to prevent exposure of the channel 9 between the molding body 11 and the seal lip 12 so as to prevent floating of the molding body 11 on the vehicle body panel side at the corner part of the window 2.
In this instance, the molding body 11 is located in the gap 5 between the outer peripheral edge surface of the windowpane 3 and the vehicle body panel 4, and the seal lip 12 extends from the passenger compartment side of the molding body 11 toward the outer surface 4a of the vehicle body panel 4. A first lip 14 extends from the distal end of the seal lip 12 so as to cover the outer surface 4a of the vehicle body panel 4. A second lip 15 extends also from the distal end of the seal lip 12 in opposite direction to the first lip 14, and is brought into strong resilient contact with the rear side of a protrusion 16 of the molding body 11. A leg part 17 extends from the molding part 11 into the gap 5, and is formed at its distal end with an anchor part 18 that is embedded in the adhesive 7 and is thereby fixedly anchored. Third lips 19 extend from the leg part 17 toward the edge surface of the windowpane 3 so as to engage therewith.
It is intended that the window molding 6 shown in FIG. 3 prevents exposure of the channel 9 by means of the lip 15, and also prevents float-up of the molding body in its region along the corner part of the window and on its side adjacent to the vehicle body panel 4. However, since the first lip 14 extends to cover the outer surface 4a of the vehicle body panel 4, undesired noise tends to be generated due to vibration of the lip 14 during high-speed running of the vehicle, depending upon the configuration or structure of the lip 14.
It is also intended that the window molding 6 shown in FIG. 3 prevents the groove part from being clogged with dust, sand, wax or the like, and to prevent rusting in the gap, though there is no disclosure as to the width of the molding, measures for preventing generation of noise or measures for facilitating installation. In this case, since the second lip 15 is strongly brought into resilient contact with the protrusion 16, the first lip 14 must be arranged on the outer surface 4a (first grade surface) of the vehicle body panel 4 and, thus, it is not readily possible to realize a narrow configuration of the window molding.
Further, the strong resilient contact of the second lip 15 with the protrusion 16 produces a force, by which the anchor part 18 tends to float up from the adhesive 8 is effected. Thus, the second lip 15 and the protrusion 16 are likely to make relatively loose contact with each other after curing of the adhesive 8, even though they had been made into close contact with each other before curing of the adhesive at the initial stage upon fitting of the window molding. In addition, also when the windowpane is situated at a relatively high level due to fluctuation in the positional relationship between the windowpane 3 and the vehicle body panel 4, the lip 15 and the protrusion 16 are likely to make loosely contact with each other. In these cases, the second lip 15 is likely to vibrate, thereby generating undesired noise.
Further, although it is stated that the third lips 19 making contact with the edge surface of the windowpane 3 serve to prevent the molding body 11 from floating up and position the molding body 11 in place, the edge surface of the windowpane 3 is generally chamfered for the purpose of safety and, thus, the lips 19 tend to slip on the edge surface of the windowpane 3 thereby failing to prevent the molding body from floating up.
Moreover, as in the case of the window molding 6 shown in FIG. 2, if an external force is exerted to the molding boy 11 from the windowpane 3 during cleaning of the window 2, the molding body 11 tends to lean toward the vehicle body panel 4, thereby forming a gap between the molding body 11 and the windowpane 3, in which dust is likely to accumulate.